Dental appliance



J. K. MEANS.

DENTAL APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED AUG-26. 1920.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH K. MEANS, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

DENTAL APPLIANCE.

to the accompanying: drawings, forming art of this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan view of one form of my dental appliance in position.

Fig. 2 is an enlar ed side elevational view. is a sectional view on line 33 of a is a detail view of the clip shown 3. 5

is a horizontal sectional View.

6 is a plan view of my invention.

7 is a plan view of another form of nvention.

his invention relates to a new and useful improvement in dental appliances, the object being to provide an anchorage for artificial teeth which anchorage may be adjustably mount d and secured to a natural tooth so as to provide a mount for the artificial tooth.

Another object of my invention is to simplify its application. rendering it adaptable to various mountings.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a band slightly concave or convex in cross section. The ends 0t this band. when applied to the natural tooth are pressed toward each other and outwardly by suitable means. One end of said band has an aperture, and passine; through this aperture and engaging the threaded opening of theopposite end is a binding screw 2. The threaded end of band 1 is increased in thickness or reinforced by bar 3 proiectino: longitudinally from said end. Bar 3 can be formed integral with said band, or soldered or otherwise secured to it. This bar 3 increases the depth of the threaded opening'to provide ample material "for the engagement of screw 2. and serves as the anchorage for the mounting of the artificial teeth. By this construction. when the screw 2 is turned home, the ends of the band are drawn together around the natural 7 tooth indi ated at A. Fig. 1, and in the final mounting. after the band has been adjusted o fit the tooth properly. cement is prefer- Specification of Letters Patent.

be made smaller or narrower.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Application filed August 26, 1920. Serial No. 406,150.

ably arranged around the tooth and the band drawn tightly over the cement to form a solid anchorage for the bar 3; This anchorage avoids the necessity for grinding the natural tooth A, and by the concavoconvex walls of the band, the barrel-shaped body or contour of the natural tooth can be neatly fitted so that in the final application, with the underlying layer of cement, the band may be rigidly mounted on the natural tooth, thereby providing a permanent anchorage, but one which is capable of removal by unscrewing the screw 2 and spreading the ends of the band, should occasion require.

lVhen the anchored bar or support is mounted in position. a wax impression may be made and the artificial teeth l3. arranged therein, said teeth of course being properly articulated with the natural teeth to provide the correct bite. As part of the operation of thus positioning the artificial teeth by embedding them in a mass of wax, indicated at C, I arrange a clip -5 on the anchorin bar and locate it in proper position on said bar, using; one or more clips as occasion requires. This clip is shown in detail in Fig. 4 and consists of metal. (preferably gold. in fact all of the metallic parts are preferably made of gold of proper carat) substantially W-shaped having its marginal edges 5 bent outwardly to form embedding flanges on each side which are practically entirely surrounded by the wax in the first instance. The outer legs 5 of this W-shaped strip are preferably converqent, being folded at their lower or widened portion so as to form an opening 5 by means of the legs 5 which less are slirrhtly contracted at their lower ends so that they will provide a narrow mouth for the introduction of the anchoring bar into the opening 5.

It will be observed. with relation to this clip. that the legs. 5 are entirely free and by the insertion of the spreading instrument between the lower portions thereof. the mouth to the opening 5 may be made larger or widened to accommodate different sizes of anchoring bars; or, by introdu ing a pointed instrument between the lower portions of the lens 5" and 5% this m uth may This centrally arranged saddle portion of the clip is practically free and the surfaces of its walls which engage the anchoring bar may process of forrnir a HIOlCl and casti 7 its or c molded cavity or matrix an inst theluc. Fl

'tootln or subsequentlyshrinking: its diamdiii'erent siaesot bars Withiin of course, cei

be brought together more closely or spread apart a greater distance depending upon the size of the bar and the necessities of *Co permanent o'l' material such vulcanother rubber tion in the which is molded therefroni inay ticed in a manner Well known skilled in the art and need not be in detail here.

he prac' to those described The artificial teeth mounted in the rubber composition having; a groove in its bottom and one or more ClilJS'Wl'lOSQ. saddle free and adjustable, are then placed in pos tion on the anchoring bar and maybe talc out and replaced at will, To hold the an." ficial mounting on the teeth in vertical po tion, the curtain extensions (1 extend down on each side oi ferably inn-ridge andproper formation can be given the mounting at the point of connection of the anchoring; bar to the-natural tooth upon which it is mounted to prevent longitudinal. f

movement.

In Fig. 7 I have shown another ilorro oi? anchorage iar inavhich the threaded rod (liorms an extension upon the o? the band 7, the other lan of said band l avingg a perforated lust 8 throuoh which ssesi there being? a nut 9 which designed to be t ireaded on the bar "for inpir which. perin'ts n adiustment oi the band either i" y of enlarging: its diameter in iiti it toa eter to cause theband totig htly clamp the natural tooth.

These various n'iethods of mounting the anchoring bar of natural tooth may be chanced according: to the choice of the operator as occasion requires the use oi? short or long; bar. In any cast the clip 5 may be used in connection with the inountind t'oi the artificial teeth to enable the artificial teeth to he quickly placed in or removed from position. .l. deem the free ivalls of the a l t l' i sartne DOlLlOIl oi as o no an important feature oiiniy invention, as by this means l mu enabled to use the clip for tain ranges and further in the event tha the contracted. mouth portion of the clip be- L by the W311.) 7

bar

,inentlll enlarged -irons frequent use, the free side walls thereof may be readily adjusted inwardly to restore the same to iJAQll intended clipping position in which the mounting for the artificial teeth may .ot he accidentally displaced or l'GllOVGt "roinpositionv If desired, the screw 52 and the end of the anchor band 1 0* lug 8 and nut 9 could be utilized as shoulders to prevent longitudinal movement of the artificial. teeth along the anchorin; bar.

What i claim is:

l. The combination with an anchorage for artificial teeth comprising a band for em racing a natural tooth an anchoring bar extending; from said band and means for ad ustine:

.ture and adapted to en aoe said 'anchorin V .L t) 1':

bar.

3. A dental appliance comprising an anchoring bar having a shoulder or proiection and, a resilient clip carried by the artificial denture cooperating with said bar and 1ts clip carried by the .artiiicialvdenture which is desin'ned to be sunerimnosed upon the sun. said clip havingits mammal edo'es embeddedin said artificial. denture. and having tree Walls whi h be moved toward and from each other to. receive the anchoring bar.

5. In a dental anpliance. the combination with an anchoring? barsecured to a natural tooth oi .clin which s substan ially W- .shaped, and provided wi h anchoring means arran ed to be embedded in anartiiicial said clip being made of resilient metal.

. 6. In a dental annliance the combination with an artificial denture; of a clip having: anchoring flano'es arranged to be embedded said artificial denture -said clip also having; saddle nortion, the Wa ls of which lat- .r ...?e free be moved toward and from ach other when the clip is in its embedded position.

7. In a dental apnliance a clip comprisoutwardlv extendino flanges designed to be embedded in an artificia d nture. there heino a entrally arranged saddle portion in he lin for receiving); an anchoring bar the nouth oil which saddle portion is constricted. V

.8. The combination with an artificial dentrue having a groove in its bottom of one or more clips provided with free walls spanning said groove.

9. The combination with an artificial de11- t me having a groove in its bottom of a clip spanning said groove and having its marginal edges embedded in said artificial denture, said clip having free walls which may be adjusted toward and from each other when the clip is in position. 10

' In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature this 3d day of August, 1920.

JOSEPH K. ,MEANS. 

